EP03 – Start With the Story with Diane Quon

05.08.2025 - Season: 1 Episode 3

In this episode of Doc Walks, Ben & Keith duck out of the freezing temperatures of Park City for a warm and cozy indoor sit-down with Academy Award-nominated producer Diane Quon. A personal story of determination, Diane shares her inspiring journey from marketing executive to Academy Award-nominated documentary producer. From acclaimed films like ‘Minding the Gap,’ and ‘Breaking the News,’ to her Sundance premiering ‘Third Act,’ Diane shares insights and experiences as a late-entrant into the documentary world, relying on real-world experience and some well-timed words of encouragement too. 00:00 Braving the Cold: A Frosty Start 00:45 Seeking Warmth: A Change of Plans 01:48 Introducing Diane Quan: A Special Guest 05:55 Diane’s Journey: From Marketing to Filmmaking 08:37 The Impact of Documentaries: Personal Stories and Social Issues 13:12 Advice for Aspiring Filmmakers 16:39 Wrapping Up: Reflections and Gratitude

Oh my Lord.

It's cold.

Let's see how cold it is.

Ooh, it

is 20 degrees, a balmy, 20 degrees here in Park City, uh, with snowflakes falling

somehow directly into my eyeballs.

Yeah, these aren't flakes.

These are like snow daggers.

Snow pellets, uh, raining down on us.

The ground is slippery.

Uh, there's lots of brown, mushy snow.

Yeah.

This is not a great day for a, uh, podcast.

Where we go walking.

We don't just walk.

We also dock.

And we are, we are dock docking.

The walk right now.

Well, I'm wondering what

if we docked but didn't

walk?

Why don't we try to find a quiet corner inside somewhere?

Preferably with, uh, drinks and snacks.

Okay, now you're talking, I'm sorry.

Now you're docking

on your left.

You're listening to Dock Walk with Ben and Keith.

We are not walking, we are sitting.

This is welcome to Doc sits.

We have stopped walking and, and planted ourselves in some comfy chairs because.

It is cold as hell outside.

It's miserable.

It's freezing.

Uh, everything's covered in snow.

It's actively snowing a lot.

It's like slapping your face.

Wet spit snow.

And what about 15 degrees?

Maybe?

I would say it's more like nine.

Um,

but it feels like negative 10 to a guy from Austin, Texas.

Not used to this.

Yeah.

So anyway, we found refuge in a little, uh, secret room.

Uh, just off Main Street.

Yeah.

And today we're talking to Diane Quan, who is a producer, uh, academy Award,

ca Academy Award nominee Diane Quan, producer of Minding The Gap.

Minding The Gap, who's here with her new film, third Act.

Yeah.

And she's an executive producer on that one.

Uh, they're making their world premier.

I think tomorrow, and Diane is a friend of mine and somebody I've worked with.

I'm sure we'll talk about it.

Um, but weirdly, I've never met her in person.

We've only met each other on Zoom, and so I'm, I'm excited to meet her.

Uh, I'm excited for you to meet her.

She's great.

Awesome.

I You're much better on Zoom, so we'll see how this goes.

Oh yeah.

Live and in person with Diane Kwan.

Hi, Diane.

That's great.

So you, you ended up getting this or you were always here?

We, uh,

no.

Oh, this is very different.

We are normally walking and talking, and that's the whole idea of the podcast.

Yeah.

But it is freezing cold.

You even have snow inside the gases.

I can't, which is,

I can't.

I was like, just,

which is why we're doing this inside.

When Keith first said, we're gonna walk and talk, I go,

okay, I'll try to not slip.

We were gonna sit

in the, in the warmth.

This what we, I.

Imagine me being, I already am hard at being coherent.

So then also walking at same time.

Well, you live in Chicago, so you're not I know, but unaccustomed to this,

I lived 17 years in LA and the last two years in San Francisco.

Ah.

Oh, okay.

So, so I became

thin skin.

I always was.

Actually, that's why I left Chicago.

I took a look through the program and saw that you had third act here.

Yeah, I knew that one.

We're long overdue for just meeting in person.

Yeah.

So I, that was one of my top things to, to do and I knew I wanted to talk to

you and hear what's going on because I always, I I have loved getting

to know you the last couple years.

Yeah.

See And making, breaking the news together.

Yeah.

Did you know we just got the GLAD nomination.

I just

heard that yesterday.

Congratulations.

Yeah.

It's so wonderful.

It's

kind of what I needed to hear.

They told us, like three days ago, and I had just made the mistake of

turning on the news and I'm like, oh.

And then I, uh, got the email from Alex Schmid, who's, um.

Works for glad and it was like, Ugh, that's such a. It just

reminds me of why we do stuff.

We do.

What is the, uh, what is the award?

Uh, best doc, it's a nomination.

Like there's 10, I think, in the, in the category.

Okay.

And this year the focus is on the trans community.

So it's mostly they've tried to look for everything from docs to podcasts.

Difference here where there is some kind of focus on the trans community.

So the special in breaking the news, it's, it says in the

thing really honoring like Kate?

Yeah.

As the character that they're admiring in the, in the film.

So, yeah.

That's great.

Congratulations.

So anyway, what I was saying is, um.

Breaking the News was an incredible project to work on together, and I,

and to get to see Diane in action.

And that film played Independent Lens last year and has just been nominated

for a GLAD award, as Diane mentioned.

Uh, which is awesome.

But we also know Diane's work on, uh, mining the Gap.

Mm-hmm.

And, which a fabulous move.

Oh,

thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah.

And on

bad acts.

Yeah.

Which is, you know, taking, uh.

I, I thought was so bold, uh, figuring out how to make a film during Covid

Yeah.

And, and telling a story that really got a chance to kind of break through.

And even though it's about a very specific place and very specific family Yeah.

Um, it has such universal themes that like we were all kind of confronted with Yeah.

During Covid and beyond.

And now you're here.

With third act.

Right.

Um, and so I don't know a lot about it.

We don't, uh, we don't have tickets.

We didn't get screeners.

We don't know anything about the films that are playing here,

screener after.

Um, I'd

love to see it.

Please do.

Yeah.

But, uh, we wanted to talk to you about your role as a producer.

Mm-hmm.

We wanted to talk, you know, so many times at these festivals and

in, in our media we're directors, people focus on the directors,

but we work with great producers.

Mm-hmm.

And, you know, uh.

I love hearing from somebody who has the, kind of the

breadth of experience you have.

Mm-hmm.

Um, talk about what.

You love about being a producer and what people miss maybe about.

Mm-hmm.

You know what it is you're, you're really up to Yeah.

You know, behind the scenes.

I actually came into producing late just 10 years ago, um, Sundance.

My first Sundance was 2013.

And it was that year, I thought, well, I would love to try.

And then 2016 I actually started working on dogs, so it's not that long.

So I was older coming into it and it's thinking, what do I want to leave, um,

you know, for my grandkids one day?

And I feel like with film, it actually, you can put work into it.

On something you love and then you actually have something that comes

out of it, and like, how cool is that to have that opportunity?

I'm not a writer.

I can't write a book.

I can't do that, but I can help a movie get made that I care about an issue or a

idea or a story that I really care about.

So I think that's what's so special about being a producer, is being able

to make this vision come to life and then have it last hopefully forever.

I mean, maybe one person only sees it, but.

That's okay too.

It's still there.

Um, but you know, of course my goal is hopefully as many people can see it

and appreciate it over, over the years.

Um, that's beautiful.

Yeah.

So what, what is it that made you come to documentary late in life?

Well, all my background is in marketing.

I worked at NBC and then Paramount for 12 years, and I was vice

president of marketing and I loved.

Fat job, but I market a lot of bad movies and I remember thinking when I started,

I always had wanted to make my own films.

I didn't know directing producer and what role.

I just thought, uh, growing up in Chicago, my parents owned a Chinese restaurant.

I had no clue like how it worked.

So I got my MBA and thought I would just come in on the business end.

So I did marketing.

Then I also have four kids and I thought, well, when they're older, maybe I'll.

Pursue that dream to pro to make my own film, whether it's

directing, producing or whatever.

Yeah.

And we moved to Chicago, where I'm from, 'cause I was

developing some health problems.

Then when my son graduated and my youngest was about to go college, I lost my son.

Oh.

Oh Diane, I'm sorry.

I didn't know that.

Yeah, and that's 16 years ago.

It like changed my life forever.

And so I, I, you know.

Making a movie is like the last thing I wanted to do, and for maybe

four or five years, never, except for taking care of my daughters.

Didn't really wanna get out.

And one of my best friends said to me, um, I know you love film.

I went to Sundance last year, will you come with me?

So your friend invited you to Sundance, and what did you say?

Uh, I now I can't go.

And then I'm like, okay, I'm gonna go.

And at first, um.

Movie we saw was a documentary, and I had always thought when I produced

it would be fiction because Paramount and NBC, but the documentary.

It just touched me in a way that you can tell something's so entertaining,

but come out, changed and hopefully start a conversation or learn something

new about someone or someplace that you didn't know anything about.

So I went home and thought, well, maybe this is something I can do.

So I Googled documentaries.

And found Emin in Chicago who happened to produce, uh, Steve James Film Hoop

Dreams and go, whoa, I contact them.

Do you need volunteers?

They said no.

Um, so I went to try the seventh classes and won the classes, was documentary

and you had to make your own short.

So I made a little short, directed it.

Produced it, which was a great learning experience and really taught me.

I don't wanna direct, you know, you really.

Come to understand where are your strengths?

And I think marketing really lends itself to being a producer.

So that's around the time you met Bing.

You were both at Kartemquin.

Yeah.

And you started making Mining the Gap.

He had already shot most of it, but it's looking for the story.

And I met him at Kartemquin and I was like, I've never produced, but

if you're willing to take a chance, I would love to do this with you.

He was a one man show and we said, let's do it.

When was that?

That was 2016, and then we got into Sundance 2018.

And I remember thinking, this is why Sundance is such a special place.

It was like Full circle is where I saw my first documentary, and then

my first documentary was accepted here, and then we got nominated

for an Oscar the following year.

And I remember thinking, how the hell did this happen?

But in many ways, I.

Very spiritual.

You know, I feel like my son's with me all the time to say, mom, you can do it.

And I also feel that like God gave me like a good one to start

because he knew I was older.

So I'm gonna give you a head start, uh, with a good one because he

allowed me to meet so many great people, so many kind people who

are willing to meet with me and.

Because it did so well.

I got to meet a lot of buyers.

You know, Hulu bought the film along with POV along the awards campaign.

I met so many filmmakers, some that I ended up working with now,

you know, and, uh, met agents.

It just opened up all these doors.

I don't think if I, if it wasn't so successful for the first film, it take

me a lot longer and I think that's why.

I work with so many first time filmmakers, so

we're here at Sundance and you are here with the film.

Mm-hmm.

Uh, so you are taking meetings, I assume, and you are probably looking for

distribution if you don't already have it.

Mm-hmm.

So you're, you know, as a producer, correct.

I'm sure you're very familiar with the sort of state of the doc.

Landscape.

Yeah.

Keith and I have been talking about, have talked about this before.

I mean, it is, it is tough.

Luckily for third act, and I say lucky because I, I really do appreciate

PBS and what they offer, especially to documentaries that aren't

necessarily, I think they call it the Three Cs, um, celebrities crime,

and I forgot the third c, uh, cults.

That's it.

Cults, cults, cults.

You know, so, so Tad's film, so I'm the ep.

Uh, on the film we did get funding from.

ITVS.

So we will be on indie lens, so we know at least people will

see it through that platform.

We do have a sales agent, which was so meaningful to me too, because on top of

distribution, a lot of sales agents just being realistic, they know that if some

rights are sold, it's hard to sell it.

And

is ITVS an independent lens is lowest taking streaming

as well as TV at this point?

Yeah.

Yeah, I think like a portion like Windows.

Um.

So, you know, so there, along with broadcast, there is a streaming

window that they have access to.

Okay.

So that is something that I dealt with also for Minding the Gap.

We were ITVS funded too, and then we were able to make it work with

Hulu and you know, I always try to think positive and think like

maybe we can make something happen.

I don't think it's the same kind of deal because.

Streaming has just changed so much in these last years where um, they

don't necessarily, you know, like I said, one film's about social issues.

So it is a challenge, but hopefully there's still opportunity.

You see it every once in a while where documentaries that are not the three Cs

are able to break out and I guess the only way I can do it is, is to stay positive

and keep trying and knocking on doors.

And knowing will get nos.

A lot of nos.

Yeah.

But, but not giving up.

Right, right.

You know what I can't believe we didn't follow up and ask you about is what was

that film that you saw at Sundance that made you want to make documentaries?

It was 20 feet from stardom.

Oh.

And I, I tell Morgan and Nevol list, so I was so naive.

I wrote in an email and, hi, I'm Diane Kwan.

I'd like to make docs.

Any advice, so naive.

But he wrote me back.

He actually emailed me back.

And what did he say to you in that email?

He says, you know, find a good story and I can't even remember the rest.

And good luck probably, but, um, don't do it.

But very, yeah.

But very positive and encouraging, you know, just like it was a dream for me.

I feel like it's people's dreams.

I gotta try at least Yeah.

Encouraging to try I and third act, which is tomorrow.

I'm the ep and I just, again, it's like another story that means so much

to me and I'm so, it's a father, son.

Story, two filmmakers, the father's, the filmmaker from years, years and years.

He's known as the godfather of Asian media.

And his son started making films and wanted to do a biopic of

him, but in the middle of the, he's diagnosed with Parkinson's.

And I think because of that, the film really changed.

And his father really.

Really has become so vulnerable and want to share his story now,

um, with, with Tad, he was at the camps back in, in the 1940s.

Yeah.

And they come to understand each other's that you wouldn't have if

they didn't make that film together because sometimes something about film

allows you to share things you wouldn't necessarily say to your dad or, so that's.

Tomorrow and he's here.

He's 88 years old.

If somebody sent you the same kind of email that you sent to Morgan Neville

mm-hmm.

What would you say?

Yeah, I would say.

If you're going to do this and you're gonna approach someone, which I made the

mistake of not really having my story.

I kind of had a story, but I didn't really think it through, is really to have your

pitch together about what this story is.

And when you think about story, it's back to what I said, it has to be a

story that we haven't heard before.

Yeah.

People just get so caught up with the idea or the issue.

They don't think about that.

So that's why I try to encourage filmmakers is.

To think of what is that story that's unique.

And also, again, like I said, don't necessarily lead with

the social issue because we're trying to start a conversation.

So if we can start with the story, you know, that's why we're doing it.

Film, otherwise we can choose to do it a different way.

But we we're choosing to put on the screen and then maybe

they'll hear that social issue.

Yeah.

Hidden and there.

Great.

So you're gonna go back out into the cold and wet, uh, Sundance Day.

Yes.

You're, uh.

The subject of your doc is coming tomorrow.

Mm-hmm.

Um, so that's gonna be such a great celebration.

Mm-hmm.

After tomorrow.

We'll totally enjoy it, but I can't wait till the premiere.

There's nothing like showing the film for the first time

to audience, don't you think?

Incredible.

Yeah.

Incredible.

Yeah.

I mean, that's why we do it, right?

Yeah.

For that moment.

Yeah.

Because there's just nothing like that experience.

There's nothing like being

in the room.

Yeah.

This is a Thank you so much.

Thank you for, it's a pleasure.

Yeah.

Thank

you for telling us your story and sharing your time with us.

Thank you.

Yeah.

We actually going to, uh, to do another podcast I've never

done, I think I've done one.

Wow.

But I'm really.

Not very articulate, so that's why.

Yes.

Yeah.

Well, we feel honored.

Uh, thank you so much.

You were great.

Oh, thank

you.

Okay, so we're, we're walking away from Diane Kwan.

We're outside again.

And, um, I, I'm feeling moved emotionally from that interview.

That was really beautiful and I'm super grateful that we

got a chance to talk to her.

I think Diane is the best and she told us a lot and there's so much to take from it.

But I think the, the two things that are my biggest takeaways are.

You don't have to start making films as a, as a 22-year-old to have an

exciting and successful career.

You can have lived experience.

You can come from other areas and bring what you know about life to filmmaking

and, and make a mark right outta the gate, which she did with Minding the Gap.

And then I think my second takeaway is that she started out

by reaching out to a filmmaker that inspired her, Morgan Neville.

And she sat down and she wrote an email and she says herself.

You know, it wasn't the, the, the most deeply thought through

email, but she asked for advice.

And Morgan, who, you know, I don't know well, but from, for everything I do know

seems to be the nicest guy in America.

Yeah.

Um, it's amazing that he wrote her back and had such like inspirational,

aspirational words for her.

Yeah.

And a guy who's that busy, who's winning Academy Awards and working

with celebrities, you would think would not take the time to do that.

Yeah.

It spurs on, uh, a topic I want to cover on one of our future episodes,

which is about, um, advice seeking advice, giving advice, mentorship notes.

So much of what this podcast is about, I think is, we hope, we hope, is

building and reflecting community.

I mean, that's what makes documentary such a wonderful

space to work in is the community.

Yep.

And I love that Diane kind of kicked off her first efforts.

By relying on community and kind of creating a low community

between her and Morgan.

Absolutely.

And to bring it back to Sundance, that's what this feels like.

It is like a community that for a long time I was sort of.

Uh, refusing to join and That's right.

Was

there all along Ben's Sherman's march through Park City.

It seems like it's been a success.

I would say so.

And, uh, thank you to the great Ross Mcoe, uh, for the

inspiration for Sherman's March.

Thank you to everybody here at Sundance.

Thank you to Diane Kwan and thank you to you.

I was gonna say, where do I fit into all this?

Uh, thank you to you, Ben, or else I would've come here all alone and

lonely and sad and I would've stood off to the side at the parties.

Aw, Keith, which I still did a little of, but much less because you were

here, so you're still a little sad.

I mean, that's kind of baked in.

That's like a, a. Okay, good.

Well, my work here is a layer in the seven layer dip that is of sadness.

No, it's one layer.

Oh, one layer.

Okay.

It's one layer.

So there's sour cream and cheddar cheese and sadness.

I'm glad we're gonna edit it out.

The nacho references, uh, across the board as a rule.

Um, alright, well let's wrap this up.

Let's wrap it up.

And so I'm excited.

That we, this was an exciting, I'm excited that this was exciting.

Yeah.

Well,

that's exciting that you're excited taking what we've learned here in this

community in Park City, going back to our own community of Austin, Texas, uh, let's,

let's pick up this conversation back home.

All right.

Let's do it.

Bye everybody.

Thanks a lot.

Doc Walks is created, produced, and edited by my friend Ben Steiner of the Bear.

Hello.

And my friend Keith Maitland of Go Valley.

Thanks for

tuning in.